Aug 19, 2024
A Good First Experience - Rudolph is great host. He took exceptional care of me and my wife during our ride. It was really hot and he made sure we were well hydrated.
Review provided by Viator
Feb 12, 2024
A cycling trip that changed our lives!!! - From the moment u contacted them, Martin and Gucci were so helpful and nice!!! We aren’t super experienced cyclists, but they made sure all 6 of us had an unbelievable experience!!! The sights were amazing!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 5, 2024
Private bike tour worth the effort! - We would have never seen the wild part of aruba if we hadn't taken this bike tour. As a private tour we had alot of personal attention from our guide, Gocchi. This tour was pushing the limits of our endurance and I'm glad we did it!
Review provided by Viator
Nov 19, 2023
Perfectly trail ride that I was looking for - Maarten picked me up from my hotel and back to the office very close by to get my helmet/bike and make sure the size was good. We left from the office on the bikes and where on sidewalks for a short distance until we got to the trails. The single track trails that he took me on where perfect for an intermediate rider and we rode for a few miles to get to the church on the hill. Then another set of miles along the north side/ocean to get to the lighthouse. Along the way Maarten strategically stopped to show me some aspects of Aruba and the wildlife. We had a great conversation and thoroughly enjoyed the ride that challenged me just enough. I'll def be dong this ride again when we come back. The ride was originally booked for two, but one of us had to be picked up by the church due to the heat. They were very helpful.
Review provided by Viator
Oct 27, 2023
Amazing views and experience even with the heat - Rudolph our guide deserves a 5 star review even though we had to cut our tour short due to heat exhaustion. (It was a “feels like 102 degrees” day with no trade winds.). Rudolph altered the route so we would at least see an amazing vista, and got us back through an easy ride home. Thank you for a great experience, even with the heat!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 3, 2023
Awesome Island Biking Experience - My son and I had an awesome experience with Rudolph on our mountain bike tour on the north side of the island. Communication after we booked our tour was great--we were asked our height so that the proper size bikes could be ready for us to ride. The bikes worked perfectly--simple hardtail Cannondale trail bikes--and I could tell the chain was recently cleaned & lubed. Shifting was smooth. The tour started from the beach and took a short trip through town to access the singletrack trails near Altovista Chapel. The singletrack was fun--sandy, rocky, and lots of cactus near the trails. A little bit challenging if you're not used to that type of riding, but we loved it. Before we left for Aruba, I had asked friends about biking in Aruba (as we are used to riding MTB trails in Georgia) and people told us there is no singletrack, and that Aruba is flat. I'm happy to report that they were wrong. Aruba has some fun elevation and we loved the singletrack that we got to ride. After the chapel, we rode a section of gravel/sand along the beach. To me, this was more challenging than the singletrack sections due to the wind and pedaling through sand at times. But we enjoyed the challenge, and we had an awesome time. Rudolph was great about letting us stop for pictures, and adjusted the ride to our needs. Overall great experience. Challenging enough to make it fun, but not so difficult that it felt unsafe. Rudolph had fun recommendations for us to enjoy on our last days on the island, and we really appreciated that. Highly, highly recommend this tour, and also recommend Rudolph as a guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jul 25, 2023
Great mountain bike ride! - I had a great ride! The trail was challenging and hot. It reminded me alot of mountain biking on Colorado and Utah. The guide was knowledgeable about the trail and the area. The equipment was great quality. The trail I rode was not for beginners but my guide stated he was able to adjust to all levels of riders. I would highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Jul 15, 2023
Mountain biking in the desert - The staff were very friendly. Rudolph, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable of the history. He was able to adjust his riding pace for our skill level. Make sure you bring lots of water. It is very warm and there is no shade. This is not a ride for beginner cyclists. If you have no experience riding mountain bikes you should probably either not take this bike tour or find an ebike to ride. You are traveling on small stone paths at times with cactus on either side.
I enjoyed the ride very much. I would definitely do it again. I went with my wife. She is not an experienced mountain biker and had a very difficult time on the ride. Rudolph, again, was very accommodating and offered many different options to try and help her. My wife ended up having to bow out halfway through the tour due to her inexperience and the heat. They were so great about it, they radioed into the office and the owner actually came and picked up my wife in an air conditioned truck and brought her back to the starting spot where she was able to sit in the shade drink water and watch the waves. Overall, a very fantastic experience even though it was rough for my wife. I would do it again
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 4, 2023
Decent way to see the unseen - Rudolf the guide was great. Bike was decent. Route was okay/good. Posting should recommend a long-sleeve shirt - arms pretty chewed up from thorny bushes hanging over single track.
About 15% more expensive then it should be, but that’s Aruba :)
Review provided by Viator
Jan 2, 2024
Ripped to shreds! Cacti brutal! - I leave loads of reviews and very rarely a negative one. First issue was there was zero communication with us before this tour. To be fair we booked through Marriot Bonvoy. so not sure where the lack of communication comes from. We waited 25 minutes for a pickup at the Ritz and finally our concierge called over. They bike company assumed we would walk to the get the bikes which was next door. We would have been happy to but it said on our reservation we would be pickup at hotel and we had no idea it was down the road.. Not a big deal just something to be aware of if your voucher says pickup at Ritz
Bikes were good however the seats are very hard but fine for the duration.
We also had Rudolph. Nice guy but wish he had communicated a bit more honestly with us. He also seemed like he was in a rush most of the ride. At one point my husband just stopped so he could look out at the pretty visita. I understand Rudolph. must do this ride daily but just keep in mind people are doing this tour to actually SEE the island not race through it.
There were four on the tour all fit people, D1 track, Backroads tour guide, Peleton weekly and 6 mile runner a few times a week. This however was new to all of us but we have all biked on tours including some 20 mile plus ones. . We road about 15 minutes into the dessert and up a few hills.. to be honest I was getting used to the rocks/navigation and was a bit slower as I was nervous.. I sped up to catch up so was winded at the top. When I got there Rudolph suggested 2 routes.. one a bit more easier since I was "out of breath".. I would have been mortified if it wasn't just my family and he said that to me. I get that people have different speeds but no need to call me out at the start when I am just figuring this out.
Here are the two options we were given.
Do the ocean wide paths, more of a cruise loop or
2 do more of the same, through the dessert but more physically challenging.
To be clear the first 15 minutes was fun, no cacti on path, cruising up and down safely through paths so we assumed it would be more of the same. After some nervous indecisiveness
we decided on a harder one so it could be our workout for the day.
We were NOT expecting to be sliced and diced through tons of cactus bushes. Super rocky in bits so much so it popped my daughters tire! No joke all 4 of us came out of the approximate 45 min ride with our ENTIRE arms and legs bloodied and scratched by cactus bushes that had grown wild across the path. At one point my daughter ( again a D1 athlete) got off her bike so frustrated and had to walk to try and avoid getting ripped.. but it didn't matter you couldn't avoid them. I have attached pictures.
When we finally got out of the bushes and to the chapel the 3 of us literally told my husband we were done. This was NOT fun, or enjoyable. If we had to continue going through the cactus trail we would call a cab. Rudolph informed us from that point on we would not have to deal with that so we forged on. The remainder was challenging but pretty. By the end we were wiped!
SO, here is my suggestion. TELL people about the the cacti on the challenging course and allow them to make a decision! We had no idea that was a possibility and it would have made our decision easier at the start.
1. If your giving people 2 options and you see them dressed in shorts and tanks tell them the risks of being cut up!
2. This is definitely not for people that don't work out often. The heat absolutely wrecks you by the end.
2. Water, I went through 2 bottles. Bring money because at both the Chapel and Lighthouse they have drink drunks that you can purchase. You will need it at the end!! The heat on the ride is brutal.
3. I would definitely wear a long sleeve shirt although pretty sure due to the state of the wild cacti bushes it may have gotten caught and ripped.
4. If you go just opt for the beach trail. It would have been a much more pleasant experience.
5. The company should explain what to wear on this trip! We got no communication prior nor did I see it on my confirmation which is why the low rating.
I think this is a great idea and had we done the alternative route it would have been way more pleasant. Not our fav outing..
Review provided by Tripadvisor